Does your job involve a lot of sitting? If so, you can be damaging your body without even knowing it. Sitting all day can increase your risk of developing serious health issues and decrease your quality of life. Below are some major health issues that can be caused by sitting, and some things you can do to help reduce your risks.
Health Risks of Sitting down All Day
- Sitting for more than 6 hours a day for 10 years can increase your risk of developing heart disease by 64%.
- Sitting too much can raise your risk of developing prostate cancer by 30%.
- Those who set for 6 hours or more a day over the period of 10 years have a 30% higher rate of developing breast cancer.
- Sitting all day can make you gain unwanted weight which can cause a host of health problems including diabetes.
- Sitting for long periods of time can increase the chances of developing high levels of bad cholesterol.
Two Things That You Can Do To Stay Healthy
While many of us might not have a choice when it comes to sitting at work there are some things you can do to help you stay healthy. Below are two simple things that everyone can do to stay fit and decrease their health risks at the same time.
1. Stand up and walk around for 10 minutes each hour. This is a great way to get your blood flowing and help you stay healthy. Even if you just walk around your office you should always try to get up from your chair each hour. Surely your boss won’t mind if you do.
2. Get 30 minutes of activity per day. Taking just 30 minutes out of your day to exercise can greatly reduce your risk of developing serious health issues. Brisk walking, working out at the gym or running on your own treadmill are all great ways to get your daily 30.
Now that you know the risks of sitting too long and what you can do to stay healthy at work, why not act? Your health is very important and you should always be proactive about it. If you are a business owner, why not implement a health program to help those workers whose jobs require them to set long periods of time? Not only will you help your workers become healthy, you will also improve productivity and cut down on medical related costs. Start putting what you have learned here to good use today.
